Sharpen Your Business Networking Skill To Grow Your Small Business

Most people become lax at maintaining their professional business network when they've worked with a company a while. With the constant rounds of mass layoffs, having a dead or outdated business network can mean business suicide to even the most skilled expert.

Whether you've been laid off and are looking for work or are a small business owner trying to grow a business, connections are crucial for business success. But it's not so much who you know as who knows you. And that means networking effectively should be one of your priorities. Here are a few tips to help you get the results you seek from business networking.

- Before you go to a networking meeting, be prepared with a goal. Who do you want to meet? Why are you there? Have a conversation icebreaker ready to get to know the right people.

- Don't reserve every seat and act like a grump if someone unfamiliar wants to sit there. Welcome the opportunity that a stranger presents. They may be your next prospect.

- Treat referrals like gold. Contact the referral within a day, if possible. Let the referrer know how things went.

- Online, your email creates the first impression just like your physical presence does at face-to-face meetings. Be the business professional that you are.

- Any email you send has the potential for being forwarded to an untold number of people. Before you press the "send" key, give your message the "front page" test. Ask, "How would I feel if this made the front page of the newspaper?"

Denise O'Berry is a small business expert who helps small business owners grow their business with less effort. Additional business networking tips may be found in her guide -- "101 Nuggets to Power Up Your Schmooze-Ability" at http://www.deniseoberry.com/101tips

---

Five Stumbling Blocks To Successful Networking And How To Overcome Them

The ability to connect with people is essential to success... Read More

The A-B-Cs of Networking

In the workplace - and when dealing with workplace matters... Read More

Talk Isnt Cheap

The most successful organizations have good communication skills. Survey after... Read More

The Answer to Your Worst Networking Nightmare

Imagine you just met your ideal client at a networking... Read More

Examination of Discovery - Finding the Right Networking Group

Why would I pick this group over another group?How many... Read More

The 7 Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers

Networking is a term that didn't exist (academically) until almost... Read More

Why Bother With Social Networking Sites Like LinkedIn?

Q: I think I understand the value of networking as... Read More

Did You Market Yourself Today?

"If you build a better mouse trap - the world... Read More

10 Terrific Tips to Talk Your Way to the Top

What is "the top" anyway? According to society, "top" has... Read More

The Festive Season: Your Networking Opportunity

The festive season is a great time to sharpen and... Read More

10 Steps to Successful Networking

"It's not what you know, it's who you know."This old... Read More

Are You Sitting With The Right Company?

When I walked into Dallas's famous Y.O. Ranch Steakhouse, all... Read More

Networking Know-how

Successful networking requires the understanding from the get-go that it... Read More

Planting the Seeds of Greatness - Make it Great Newsletter #7

Thought of the WeekThis week, I'd like to challenge you... Read More

Politics, Religion, Race; Conversational No-No?s in Business

Do not destroy all your positive displacement and high energy... Read More

You Can?t Spell Networking Without Serendipity

"Fear not to entertain strangers for by so doing some... Read More

3 Reasons to Join a Group

Defining your purpose for joining a group.When you make the... Read More

Marketing Essentials: The 15 Second Elevator Speech

You're at a conference. Someone steps in the elevator, notices... Read More

Alliances: More Than A One Way Relationship

What is the biggest advantage of forming an alliance?Everyone has... Read More

How to be Known

Why business relationships are formed with certain people?If you go... Read More

Business Networking - Common Myths and Realities

Can we agree about the meaning of networking? I don't... Read More

Should You Offer Commissions For Customer Referrals?

As a small business owner you may find yourself in... Read More

Work that Room, Baby!

Networking, schmoozing, making connections. Call it what you want, it's... Read More

What I Do Is Not Who I Am... The Networking Factor

Ah, the personal touch that continues to make a big... Read More

62 Ways to MAXIMIZE Your Approachability

If you walk into your local bookstore and pick up... Read More

The Foundation of Networking: Its Not Rocket Science

Commandment 1LoveWhen we choose to simply love, our giving and... Read More

Ten Simple Steps to More Customers with Better Networking

Networking is a great way to meet people in a... Read More

Develop a Great Network - Pay It Forward for Maximum Success

Who needs a network of people to talk to about... Read More

Effective Networking

The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed,... Read More

Lessons from the Wedding Mafia

One of my clients shared a story with me from... Read More

Networking: What the Heck is a Ryze?

If you're new to the internet marketing club, you may... Read More

Who Are You and What The Heck Do You Do?

A few years ago, I was attending a family function... Read More

Hows Your Net Working?

In recent weeks, I've had the opportunity to pass along... Read More